Pseudo-anglicism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pseudo-anglicisms are words in languages other than English which were borrowed from English but are used in a way native English speakers would not readily recognize or understand. Pseudo-anglicisms often take the form of portmanteau words, combining elements of multiple English words to create a new word that appears to be English but is unrecognisable to a native speaker of English. It is also common for a genuine English word to be used to mean something completely different from its original meaning.

Pseudo-anglicisms are related to false friends or false cognates. Many speakers of a language which employs pseudo-anglicisms believe that the relevant words are genuine anglicisms and can be used in English.

When many English words are incorporated into many languages, language enthusiasts and purists often look down on this phenomenon, terming it (depending on the importing language) Denglisch, Franglais or similar neologisms.

[edit] Pseudo-anglicisms in various languages

[edit] Chinese

BB call — pager
DM — flyer, brochure, junk mail (from "direct mail")
kǎo — to photocopy (from the first syllable in "copy")

[edit] Czech

server — website ("server" is also called "server")

[edit] Danish

Babylift ([b̥eɪb̥ilifd̥]) — "carrycot".
A bøfsandwich ([b̥øːfsɑnʋitɕ]) is not a beef sandwich, but a beef patty on a bun (similar to a hamburger).

[edit] Dutch

Beamer (also in German) — video projector
Box — (large, toddler-sized) cot
Camper (also in Italian) — recreational vehicle (RV) or campervan
Camping (also in other European languages) — campsite
Coffeeshop — a store selling cannabis (or, colloquially, other psychedelic drugs)
Dumpstore meaning an army surplus store
Fitness (also in many other European languages) — fitness training as a kind of gymnastics
Happy end (also in other European languages) — happy ending
Junk — a drug addict (in English that would be Junkie)
Occasion - bargain (an item sold at a favourable price), or even: second-hand car. Originally a French loanword with the meaning of "bargain" and pronounced as in French, it is now often pronounced as in English
Oldtimer (also in German) — vintage car
Panty (also in Spanish) — pantyhose
Playbacken — lip-synch (in songs)
Pocketboek or just Pocket for what is commonly known as a paperback
Sheets — transparencies or computer presentation slides
Smoking (also in many other European languages) is not a smoking jacket in the Edwardian sense, but a dinner jacket or tuxedo
Songtekst ("tekst" being a native Dutch word) (also in German) — lyrics
String (also in French, German and Russian) refers exclusively to a G-string
Topfit (also in German) — perfectly physically fit
Zappen (also in German) — channel surfing

[edit] Filipino languages

Main article: Philippine English

Bad shot - To get on someone's bad side or to make a bad impression.
Bad trip - An unfortunate situation. May mean "bummer".
Banca - Outrigger canoe
Bold - May refer to nudity
Bold movie - A movie with nude or sexually-explicit scenes
Chancing - To make a sexual advance
C.R. (Comfort Room) - Toilet, bathroom
Gimmick or Gimik - A night out with friends. Also, any offering during evening hours by clubs, bars and restaurants to lure customers in.
Slang - May refer to strong foreign accents and pronunciation.

[edit] French

Autostop (also in other European languages) — hitch-hiking (verb: faire l'autostop "to hitchhike")
Baby Foot — Table football
Basket (also in Italian) — basketball
Baskets (also in Romanian) — sneakers, trainers (basketball shoes)
Box (also in Italian) — garage
un Break — a station wagon (American English) or estate car (British English) - cf. shooting break
Brushing — blow dry
Caddie™ ([kadi]) — shopping trolley
Camping (also in other European languages) — campsite
Camping-car (also in Japanese) — Campervan or "recreational vehicle"
Car (also in Swiss German) — coach, tour bus or inter-city bus
Catch — professional wrestling.
Clip — (Music) video
Dancing (also in Italian) — dance hall or dancing-house
Dressing — dressing room
Fashion - as an adjective rather than a noun
Fitness (also in many other European languages) — fitness training as a kind of gymnastics
Flipper (also in Dutch, German and Italian) — pinball machine
Foot — Football (soccer) (In Canadian French, this would refer to Canadian football, or sometimes in context to American football. Association football is le soccer.)
Footing (also in Italian and Spanish) — jogging
Jogging — Tracksuit (jogging suit)
Just (adj.) ([dʒœst]) — tight
Lifting (also in Italian, Romanian and Spanish) — facelift
Living — living room
Mail (also in Italian) — e-mail
Open Space — Open plan office
Paper Board — Flip chart
Parking (also in Italian, Spanish, Swiss German and Russian) — parking lot (car park)
People (sometimes spelt pipeuls, pipols) — celebs, also used as adjective (ex. "Il est très people")
Playback (also in many other European languages) — lip-synch (in songs)
Pressing — dry cleaning shop
Pull — pullover
Recordman, recordwoman (also in Italian) — record holder in sports
Relooking — makeover
Rugbyman — rugby player
Scotch (also in Italian and Russian) — adhesive tape (any brand)
Self — self-service restaurant
Sig (in cartoons) — sigh
Shampooing ([ʃɑ̃pwɛ̃]) — shampoo
Smoking (also in many other European languages) is not a smoking jacket in the Edwardian sense, but a dinner jacket or tuxedo
Speaker or Speakerine — radio or TV news announcer
String (also in Dutch, German and Russian) refers exclusively to a G-string
Talkie-walkie — walkie-talkie
Tennisman, tenniswoman - Tennis player (male or female)
Ticket Restaurant™ (also in Italian) - meal ticket or Luncheon Voucher (in UK)
Top (adj.) — brilliant, great
Trench (also in Italian) — trench coat
Volley ([vɔːle]) (also in Italian) — volleyball
Zapping (also in Italian, Spanish and German) — channel surfing

[edit] German

Air-Condition — abbreviated from Air conditioning
Backshop — a bakeshop
Beamer (also in Dutch) — video projector
Beauty-Farm (also in Italian) — spa
Body — leotard
Body Bag — shoulder bag
checken — understand, realize
Car (Switzerland only; also in French)) — coach
catchen — professional wrestling (from "catch wrestling")
Dressman — (male) model
Ego-Shooter — first-person shooter (derived from Latin "Ego" = "I")
Fitness (also in many other European languages) — fitness training as a kind of gymnastics
Flipper (also in Dutch, French and Italian) — pinball machine
Foto-Shooting — photo session
Funeralmaster — undertaker
Funsport — a sport primarily practised in leisure time and for fun
Handy — mobile phone
Happy end (also in other European languages) — happy ending
Horrortrip — bad trip (psychedelic crisis)
Highboard — table-high cupboard
Inliner — Rollerskates (shoes)
Kicker — table football (ironically, the German word "Fußball", meaning football, i.e. soccer, is sometimes used in English)
Logical — riddle/puzzle to be solved by logical thought
Longseller — long-term (best)seller
Oldtimer (also in Dutch) — vintage car
Playback (also in other languages) — lip sync
Pressing (in sport, Switzerland only; also in Italian) — forcing
Public viewing — showing of football matches on giant screens in public^[1]
Pullunder — sweater vest
Rocker — biker
Shooting-Star — successful newcomer
Smoking (also in many other European languages) is not a smoking jacket in the Edwardian sense, but a dinner jacket or tuxedo
Songtext ("Text" being a native German word, also "Song" is used by itself as an anglicism) (also in Dutch) — 'lyrics'
Showmaster — show host
Stick — thumb drive
String (also in Dutch, French and Russian) refers exclusively to a G-string
Talkmaster — talk show host
topfit (also in Dutch) — perfectly physically fit
trampen — hitch-hiking
Twen — anyone who is in his/her twenties, or the age itself
Zapping (also in French, Spanish and Italian) — channel surfing

[edit] Hungarian

Autóstop (also in other European languages) — hitchhiking
Farmer means "denim" as well as "(blue) jeans" made of denim
Happy end (also in other European languages) — happy ending
Playback (also in many other European languages) — lip-synch (in songs)
Wellness — feeling well by expensive means

[edit] Israeli Hebrew

On de feys (און דה פייס)— ‘(feeling) very bad’, cf. the otherwise non-existent English *on the face.^[2]
Tramp (טרמפ)— hitch-hiking
Tréning (טריינינג) — 'tracksuit', cf. English training
"Pantcher" (פנצ'ר) — flat tire, cf. English "puncture"
Mammy (מאמי) — sweetheart
Golf (גולף) — turtleneck sweater
Fan (פן) — blow drying

[edit] Italian

Autogrill — motorway snack bar (used for any brand, not only for Autogrill™ chain)
Autostop (also in other European languages) — hitchhiking
Baby killer — juvenile murderer
Bar — café (the English "bar" is called "pub" in Italy)
Basket (also in French) — basketball
Beauty case or Beauty — vanity bag
Beauty farm (also in German) — spa
Body (for dancing) — leotard
Body (for infants) (also in French and Spanish) — onesie
Body rental - temporary staffing firm
Box (for vehicles) (also in French) — garage
Box (for toddlers) — playpen
Box (in Formula 1) — pits in a racetrack where pit stops are conducted
Box doccia — shower cubicle
Camper (also in Dutch) — recreational vehicle (RV) or campervan
Camping (also in other European languages) — campsite
Catch — professional wrestling, even though it is considered to be old-fashioned
Cargo — cargo boat
Charleston (instrument) — Hi-hat
Custom — custom motorcycle
Dancing (also in French) — dance hall or dancing-house
Feeling — personal chemistry, common bond ^[3]
Fiction — TV miniseries
Fitness (also in many other European languages) — fitness training as a kind of gymnastics
Flipper (also in many other European languages) — pinball machine
Footing (also in French and Spanish) — jogging
Golf — sweater
Gadgets — goodies
Happy end (also in other European languages) — happy ending
Hostess — female flight attendant, stewardess
Jolly — joker or wild card (card games)
K-Way™ (also in French) — Windbreaker
Killer (also in Russian) — hitman, contract killer
Lifting (also in French, Romanian and Spanish) — facelift
Luna park — funfair
Mail (also in French and Swedish) — e-mail
Mister (in football) — coach
Montgomery — duffel coat
Night — nightclub
Parking (also in French, Spanish and Russian) — parking lot (car park)
Playback (also in many other European languages) — lip-synch (in songs)
Pressing (in sport, also in Swiss German) — forcing
Pullman — motor coach, tour or inter-city bus, not a railway vehicle
Recordman (also in French) — record holder in sports
Scotch (also in French and Russian) — adhesive tape (any brand)
Sexy shop — sex shop
Skilift — platter lift
Slip (also in French and Spanish) — briefs
Smoking ([ˈzmɔkiɲɡ]) (also in many other European languages) is not a smoking jacket in the Edwardian sense, but a dinner jacket or tuxedo
Speaker — radio announcer
Telefilm — TV series
Ticket — cost associated to a service provided by national health care system
Ticket Restaurant™ (also in French) — meal ticket or Luncheon Voucher (in UK)
Tight — morning suit
Toast ([ˈtɔst]) — toasted sandwich
Trench (also in French) — trench coat
Trolley — trolley case
Tutor or Safety tutor — SPECS (speed camera)
Volley ([ˈvɔllei]) (also in French) — volleyball
Water ([ˈvater]) — water closet
Zapping ([ˈdzappiŋɡ]) (also in French, Spanish and German) — channel surfing

[edit] Japanese

Main article: Wasei-eigo

Desk (デスク, desuku^?) — title for a person in office
Famicom (ファミコン, famikon^?) — video game, portmanteau of "family" and "computer"
Lolicom (ロリコン, rorikon^?) - portmanteau of "lolita" and "complex"
Mansion (マンション, manshon^?) — a condominium apartment
Okushon (億ション^?) — luxury apartment (a pun in comparison with "mansion", since the Japanese oku means 10⁸ compared to man which is 10⁴)
Smart (スマート, sumaato^?) — slim or skinny
Style (スタイル, sutairu^?) — a woman's figure (particularly if slim or skinny)

[edit] Polish

Autostop (also in other European languages) — hitchhiking
Deweloper - refers exclusively to a real estate developer
Fitness (also in many other European languages) — fitness training as a kind of gymnastics
Happy end (also in other European languages) — happy ending
Smoking (also in many other European languages) is not a smoking jacket in the Edwardian sense, but a dinner jacket or tuxedo

[edit] Portuguese

Cooper — To jog.
Shopping — Shopping mall, using the English gerund as a noun
Smoking (also in many other European languages) is not a smoking jacket in the Edwardian sense, but a dinner jacket or tuxedo. However in Brazilian Portuguese, its name is tuxedo /tu'ʃɛdu/.
"Videogame" - (Brazilian Portuguese) Game console, although the term "console" is also used. The videogames themselves are simply called "games", "jogos" (the standard translation for "game") or less ambiguously "jogos de videogame" (Console games).

[edit] Romanian

Autostop (also in other European languages) — hitchhiking
Camping (also in other European languages) — campsite
Lifting (also in Italian, French and Spanish) — facelift

[edit] Russian

Autostop (автостоп) (also in other European languages) — hitchhiking
Biker (байкер) — a member of a Motorcycle club rather than merely a motorcyclist
Camping (кемпинг) (also in other European languages) — campsite
Clip or videoclip (клип, видеоклип) - music video
Clipmaker (клипмейкер) — music video director
Face control (фейс-контроль) — checking whether a person looks appropriate (a common practice at Russian night clubs)
Happy end (хэппи-энд) (also in other European languages) — happy ending
Killer (киллер) (also in Italian) — hitman, contract killer
Parking (паркинг) (also in French and Spanish) — parking lot (car park)
Safing (сейфинг) — providing safe deposit boxes
Scotch (скотч) (also in French and Italian) — adhesive tape (any brand)
Smoking (смокинг) (also in many other European languages) is not a smoking jacket in the Edwardian sense, but a dinner jacket or tuxedo
String (стринги) (also in Dutch, French and German) refers exclusively to a G-string

[edit] Spanish

Camping (also in other European languages) — campsite
Cola-less (at least in Rioplatense Spanglish) — G-string (in South American Spanish-language countries, cola is a slang for buttocks).
Fitness (also in many other European languages) — fitness training as a kind of gymnastics
Footing (also in French and Italian) — jogging
Jingle — advertising
Lifting (also in Italian, Romanian,French and Swiss German) — facelift
Parking (common use but still not recognized by RAE, also in French and Russian) — parking lot (US) or car park (UK, Aus)
Panty (also in Dutch) or panti — pantyhose
Playback (also in many other European languages) — lip-synch (in songs)
Snow (common use but still not recognized by RAE) — an abbreviation for "snowboard" as sport. The board is called tabla de snow
Zapping (also in French, Italian and German) — channel surfing

[edit] Swedish

Smoking (also in many other European languages) is not a smoking jacket in the Edwardian sense, but a dinner jacket or tuxedo
Trafficking refers primarily to trafficking in human beings or sex trafficking, and not to smuggling in general.
Walkman is usually replaced with "freestyle" (despite the fact that the word does not fit particularly well with Swedish phonotactics or grammar; actually, freestyle was the name chosen for marketing purposes in Sweden)

[edit] Turkish

Autostop or otostop (also in other European languages) – hitchhiking
Basket - basketball
Body – bodybuilding
Fitness (also in many other European languages) – fitness training as a kind of gymnastics
Flirt or flört - generally used as dating
Jip - Turkish spelling for Jeep, is used as sport utility vehicle.
Klip - used for music video
Cola or Kola (derived from Coca-Cola) – refers to a soft drink
Pas - used as passing in sports, the use would be translated as giving a pass
Playback (also in many other European languages) – lip-synch (in songs)
Smoking or smokin (also in many other European languages) - tuxedo
String (also in other European languages]) refers exclusively to a G-string
Taç - Turkish spelling for touch, throw-in in soccer, the use would be translated as throwing a touch
Zapping (also in French, Italian and German) — channel surfing

[edit] Yiddish

camping lager" campground
cherry lights red headlights
drugs only illegal narcotics
hitshn to hitchhike
payday salary/payment

[edit] Sources

James Stanlaw 2004, Japanese English: Language And The Culture Contact, Hong Kong University Press.
Laura Miller 1997, "Wasei eigo: English ‘loanwords' coined in Japan" in The Life of Language: Papers in Linguistics in Honor of William Bright, edited by Jane Hill, P.J. Mistry and Lyle Campbell, Mouton/De Gruyter: The Hague, pp. 123–139.
Geoff Parkes and Alan Cornell 1992, 'NTC's Dictionary of German False Cognates', National Textbook Company, NTC Publishing Group.
Ghil'ad Zuckermann 2003, ‘‘Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew’’, Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, (Palgrave Studies in Language History and Language Change, Series editor: Charles Jones). ISBN 1-4039-1723-X.

[edit] References

^ "Public Viewing". http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/countries/organisation/marketing/kind=536870912/index.html.
^ See p. 250 of Zuckermann, Ghil'ad 2003, ‘‘Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew’’, Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, (Palgrave Studies in Language History and Language Change, Series editor: Charles Jones). ISBN 1-4039-1723-X.
^ According to linguist Ghil'ad Zuckermann, this pseudo-anglicism might have "been influenced by Italian fili ‘threads’ (plural of Italian filo ‘thread’.^{[citation needed]}) Italian feeling is used in Italian pop music, for example in the song Pensami per te (‘Think about me for your sake’) (by Cogliati/Ciani/Cassano), sung by Anna Oxa, which includes Tra di noi c’é uno strano feeling che ci lega ormai ‘Between us there is a strange feeling that binds us by now’."See p. 102 of Zuckermann, Ghil'ad 2003, ‘‘Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew’’, Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, (Palgrave Studies in Language History and Language Change, Series editor: Charles Jones). ISBN 1-4039-1723-X.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Examples of Japanese pseudo-anglicisms

[0] "Public Viewing". http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/countries/organisation/marketing/kind=536870912/index.html.

[1] See p. 250 of Zuckermann, Ghil'ad 2003, ‘‘Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew’’, Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, (Palgrave Studies in Language History and Language Change, Series editor: Charles Jones). ISBN 1-4039-1723-X.

[2] According to linguist Ghil'ad Zuckermann, this pseudo-anglicism might have "been influenced by Italian fili ‘threads’ (plural of Italian filo ‘thread’.^{[citation needed]}) Italian feeling is used in Italian pop music, for example in the song Pensami per te (‘Think about me for your sake’) (by Cogliati/Ciani/Cassano), sung by Anna Oxa, which includes Tra di noi c’é uno strano feeling che ci lega ormai ‘Between us there is a strange feeling that binds us by now’."See p. 102 of Zuckermann, Ghil'ad 2003, ‘‘Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew’’, Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, (Palgrave Studies in Language History and Language Change, Series editor: Charles Jones). ISBN 1-4039-1723-X.

[1]

[2]

[3]